Live with Intentional Joy

So...I've been keeping a journal for awhile now. It's not a normal journal. I don't jot everyday occurrences or anything like that. I jot thoughts. Mostly negative ones. It's how I get them out, sort them out, and somehow turn them into constructive thoughts. If you ever find my journal (like that'll happen..), please don't think I'm a super negative person. I'm not one because all the negativity gets left in that journal. Usually.

It's not just my dump journal though. I write down verses and lines of my devotionals that I don't want to forget. It's a way for me to remember them easier. If I think of them later, but can't quite remember..I pull out the journal.

I write life lessons I've learned, and notes on my spiritual journey (which is so far from over).

Going back and reading the journal is fun sometimes. It's revealing. It helps me grow. It reminds me of truths and challenges that have been overcome. Every now and then, I find just what I need. And today, it was this.

Live with intentional joy.


Whoa. I wrote that in March in the midst of a very busy, very stressful semester. I was in the middle of school, work, comparing myself to others, worrying about others, etc. etc. Each day was hard to wake up, get through and actually enjoy. I wondered at that point...where is my joy? Why don't I have it? Well one day I discovered: joy isn't something you're given. It's something you choose to have. The Lord has given us so many things to be thankful for, but it is our choice whether or not we will be joyful about them.

I'm not saying I have accomplished this attitude. Not even close. And maybe I'm way off with it. I don't know. Until today, I kinda let it escape my  mind. But that's why I love this journal. It reminds me of where I've been, where I'm going, and how to live. I'll never get it 100% right. But as many days as I remember, I hope to live with intentional joy.